Dr. Mitruka presented his seminar at two hospitals in Chennai. The seminars consisted of didactic training, a hands-on mock demonstration and two cases each day in which Dr. Mitruka performed the Maze procedure using Medtronic’s Cardioblate® Irrigated Radiofrequency system.

“The purpose of this trip was to teach some of India’s very talented and knowledgeable heart surgeons about a procedure that Eisenhower Medical Center has been doing routinely for six years, as well as educate them about atrial fibrillation,” says Dr. Mitruka. Mitruka notes that the seminar received tremendous response and gave Eisenhower Medical Center global exposure for its Cardiovascular Center of Excellence.

“The purpose of this trip was to teach some of India’s very talented and knowledgeable heart surgeons about a procedure that Eisenhower Medical Center has been doing routinely for six years, as well as educate them about atrial fibrillation”

—Dr. Mitruka

India has seen dramatic increases in the number of cardiac patients. According to the World Health Organization, by 2010 India will have 60 percent of the world’s cardiac patients. In western countries, atrial fibrillation in itself is not considered a life-threatening condition and typically is found in an older population. Conversely, in India, where rheumatic heart disease is pervasive, there is a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation in the young.

“Many cardiac surgery patients suffering from atrial fibrillation in India will be effectively treated because of the efforts of Dr. Mitruka,” says Terri Cormack, Director of Marketing, Atrial Fibrillation Technologies, Medtronic Cardiovascular. “Only by collaborating with expert physicians like Dr. Mitruka can we advance technological innovation and ensure the highest standards of medical care throughout the world.”